Review The Expendables 3 (2014)

genre: action, adventure

With this third part The Expendables has become a franchise that every action aficionado has to check out if only because of the huge names involved that bring us old school action for the masses. The Expendables always has been about bringing old school action back and paying tribute to the early action heroes that back then made our day. This one is no different and adds Wesley Snipes, Mel Gibson and Antonio Banderas into the mix. While this part definitely is a little slower and less surprising it still packs a lot of punch. I mean the action sequences in the final part are among the best I have seen in a long time and makes you forgive for the uneven pacing previously. But best of all it helps us remind why actors like Wesley Snipes and Antonio Banderas were big when they ruled the cinema. Both bring a charisma to the screen that is magnetic. Antonio Banderas more so than Snipes. But I mean Antonio is charming as hell. Even if he would do mundane things it is hard to dislike the guy. I sincerely hope that this adventure will bring them back in the roles they excel in. One remark about the PG-13 rating. Does it hurt the overall enjoyment of this film as a standalone ? No, it does not. But compared to the previous parts it does considerably. In this case there is something to be said about not seeing the blood and gore that comes with the brutal action that is displayed. Somehow it feels cartoony. As Sylvester Stallone said himself the comedy was toned down a lot also. And those were exactly the elements that gave the Expendables movies their edge above current action films. Overall I enjoyed The Expendables 3 and I want them to continue this franchise as long as possible.